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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Three months in and 2013 has been an utter wasteland in American music, but fortunately a relief effort is underway from a hardy band of Brits. The latest care package from across the pond comes from one of the country's best and most exciting developing acts, Florrie. Today the singer released her new song and video, "Live A Little," created for the Sony XBA-C10 In-ear headphones ad campaign (hence the product placement-y headphone shots), a brassy, upbeat, perfectly hip consumer electronics ad campaign-style number that recalls the best of her independent work and is sure to put a swing in your step.

A former house drummer for UK pop production house Xenomania, Florrie Arnold has been brewing her solo act over the past couple years and released three EPs of her experimentation, a conscious effort to develop herself as an act before signing with a major label, sharing with her fans about the process and her artistic and professional philosophy on her blog and offering much of her music for free. "Live A Little" is her first new material since her final independent release, the EP Late, which came out in May 2012 (and was reviewed on the inaugual Popologist Panel). Its liberal use of horns, lalalalas, huge choruses, and, of course, plenty of drums most noticeably recall her second and greatest EP, Experiments,* but it's infused as well with some of the less bombastic, percussive elements from Late (especially that clappity clap-and-guitar-lick in the middle). Basically it's the best possible outcome, proving that Florrie wasn't just dicking around aimlessly but actually creating what has grown to be a sound and style uniquely her own using the best of her apparently multitudinous talents. Sky Ferreira and Neon Hitch, take note.

The video is a similarly spunky and simple affair, echoing the overlapping Kylie Minogues of the video for "Come Into My World" to create a band of Florries surrounding drummer Florrie in the center. Arnold carries the curse of looking like a Calvin Klein model, which can make it difficult to get the men who run the industry to look at you as a talent: it's not for nothing that she plays every (major) instrument in the video - drums, guitar, trumpet, tambourine, she even does her own hand claps. But she also plays up the CK look, with long, stringy hair, plain white t-shirt and white skinny jeans, daring you to think that that's all she is. I like when my hipster-chic consumer electronics ad campaign comes with a side of feminism, so I'm all on board with this kind of commercialism.

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About Vertigo Shtick

Vertigo Shtick is a pop music blog that goes beneath the surface, past the fluff and beyond the finished product. The site features reviews, commentary, interviews, news, and more informative features presented so that anyone, not just pop music fans, can find value in its content.